Fortis IBA Ltd is pleased to welcome Annmarie Read to the business in her new role of Quality Technician

Annmarie has worked within the Raymond Brown Group for the last three years, having been responsible for quality assurance for the Raymond Brown Quarry Products business..

The Quality Technician role is a new position within the Fortis business and has been created to resource the ongoing growth of Fortis IBA Ltd, as well as the demand for IBA Aggregates in the UK.

Working as a key part of the HSQE Team, Annmarie is responsible for the control of IBAA products, product analysis and liaison with external laboratories, externals consultants and key clients.

Lee Thompson, Fortis Managing Director said: “I am delighted that Annmarie has joined the Fortis team, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the business. Her focus and drive for quality and compliance, will contribute significantly to the overall success of Fortis IBA Ltd.

Compton and Beedon Schools design posters for new chiltonSkips.com lorries

chiltonSkips.com, part of the Raymond Brown Group, invited both Compton and Beedon Primary Schools to take part in a lorry design competition for two of its newest lorries.

The children from across both schools were invited to take part in the competition by designing posters for the lorries based around the themes of recycling and sustainability.  A number of posters were submitted and the Raymond Brown directors then selected winning designs for each lorry based on their brightly coloured key messages.

On 12 March, the lorries were driven to the schools for an unveiling with the students and their parents and the winners presented with a Raymond Brown goody bag, certificate and a £10 book voucher by Councillor Jeanette Clifford, Executive Member, Transport and Countryside, West Berkshire Council and Jim Skinner from Raymond Brown.  The students were also given the opportunity to sit in their lorry and have their photos taken in it and ask the drivers questions.

Almost all of the Raymond Brown fleet of lorries have been designed by different local schools and both Beedon and Compton Primary Schools were suggested by one of the drivers’ sons, whose artwork now features proudly on the door of his father’s vehicle.

The new Volvo FL250 lorries are the latest in their kind and feature new Multilift Futura Skip Loaders, they will be used to deliver and collect skips across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

Alison McDonald, Director of Primaries, commented: “We were very pleased to be part of this project.  It tied in really well with our school environmental week and the children enjoyed researching ideas for their designs.  The children were thrilled to see their designs on the lorries.  Thank you to Raymond Brown for inviting us to decorate their new cabs.”

One of the Year Four students said: “I felt a little nervous at seeing my work for the first time but I was pleased with how bright and colourful it was. I will be looking out for the lorries on the road.”

 

Raymond Brown visit after school club ‘The Roost’ at Nightingale Primary School

Raymond Brown visited pupils from the after school club, The Roost, ran by Integr8 sports, to teach pupils about the importance of recycling and how Raymond Brown staff stay safe when on sites.

The children had the opportunity to try on PPE (personal protective clothing), including safety glasses, hi-vis  clothing and hard hats, whilst Raymond Brown staff explained the importance of being seen on site and how the PPE protects them.

Equipped with some mixed waste, Communications and Marketing Manager, Kerry Hayman, challenged pupils to segregate the rubbish into recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste.  Kerry then explained how non-recyclable waste is incinerated, generating electricity and then how the ash is recycled into an aggregate, which is used to build sub-bases of roads.

Pupils were then put into teams and given a workbook to complete, which included exercises such as a word search and challenging questions about where household rubbish goes.  All children received prizes for their positive suggestions and answers.

Lynda Hardiman-Pearce at Intergr8 Sports commented, “We are always looking for new challenges for our pupils at The Roost.  It was great to hear Raymond Brown employees talk about the importance of recycling and how they keep themselves safe on their sites.  The gifts were a real hit, especially the hard-hat pencil sharpeners!”

3,880 Mixed Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs planted at Brickworth Quarry

The Brickworth Quarry team are in the process of planting around 5,000 mixed broadleaf trees and shrubs as part of the restoration of Round Corpse North.

The 3,880 planted so far consist of Oak, Hornbeam, Sweet Chestnut, Copper Beach, Field Maple, Common Alder, Hazel, Hawthorn and Guelder Rose.

This forms part of the final stages of the restoration of Round Copse North back to broadleaf woodland.

 

International visitors for Energy from Waste (EfW) Conference welcomed to Ardley for ERF and IBA Processing Facility Tour

Ardley ERF welcomed international visitors as part of the EfW Conference 2019 by Viridor’s Edward Thomas Performance Manager and enjoyed a site tour with Jim Thompson, Ardley ERF Site Operations Manager and Martyn Jones, Unit Manager of Fortis IBA.

Martyn provided an overview of Fortis’ unique onsite operations and how Oxfordshire’s IBA Aggregate is used as a secondary resource within the construction industry.

Raymond Brown Quarry Products joins MPQC

The Mineral Products Qualifications Council is a not for profit organisation and Raymond Brown Quarry Products’ membership will provide the business with valuable resources relating to the industry, including education, training and qualifications.  They are also a leading provider of high-quality training, assessment and apprenticeships.

 

Fortis becomes a member of the Environmental Services Association

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) is the trade body representing the UK’s resource and waste management industry.  Their primary aim is to raise environmental and safety standards across the industry, working with members to develop guidance to continually improve safety, efficiency and the environment.

Ben Jacobs, HSQE Manager said: “ESA membership provides Fortis with access to industry information which will allow us to improve our health, safety, and environmental practices, ensuring we meet our goals of keeping people safe and protecting the environment.  As members we will have the opportunity to inform, consult and debate to help shape the future of our growing industry.”

 

Fortis IBA Appoint New Senior Hydrogeologist

Fortis IBA Ltd is pleased to welcome their new Senior Hydrogeologist, Tim Wilkins to the team..

Tim is a geoscientist with 15 years’ experience and is a fellow of the Geological Society of London. After completing a master’s degree in Hydrogeology, Tim has gone on to specialise in groundwater quality risk assessments and has worked for almost a decade in the waste management sector.

Tim’s primary role is to ensure that every site that IBA aggregate is supplied to is suitable for its use and that Fortis maintain the highest environmental standards. Tim will be working alongside researchers, regulators, industry and other stakeholders to continue the development of IBA Aggregate assessments, processes and regulation.

Fortis IBA’s managing director, Lee Thompson, commented “We are delighted to welcome Tim to the team. His wealth of experience and specialist skills are significant addition to the business and a key step in the Fortis growth strategy”

New Viewing Platform at Binnegar Quarry

Binnegar Quarry now has its own dedicated visitor footpath and area, thanks to the quarry team building a new viewing platform.

Binnegar’s quarry team have built a wooden decked platform with hand rails and information boards, so that visitors can learn about and see the entire quarry operations in action.

Quarry Manager Simon Pinto, said: “Binnegar is such a stunning site and we wanted to build a viewing platform here because of the great views this spot has over the quarry. Should any community groups or local residents wish to visit our site, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can book you in for a tour.”

Photo: Councillor Cherry Brooks and local resident, Ian join Operations Manager, Marcus Dredge and Quarry Manager, Simon Pinto on the new viewing platform.

Operations progress at Brickworth Quarry

We are pleased to announce that quarrying operations have progressed into Phase 2 of Area A with the extraction of soft sand at approximately 150,000 tonnes per annum.

Phase 3 of Area A is currently being felled in preparation for quarrying.

The Round Copse North Area has been restored and soils have been placed, tree planting will commence in this area shortly and Lowdens Copse has been backfilled using inert materials and soils are due to be placed for restoration in Spring 2019.

The current landfill operation is progressing well in Phase 1 of Area A and is planned to receive direct placement of the soils excavated from Phase 3 of Area A.